So I’m linking up for my weekly mood boost over at Lizzi’s weekend Ten Things of Thankful Blog Hop. Each week she asks you to list ten things from your week you are thankful for. Check out the others here. Really. Take a moment. Make your heart smile:

Number 10

I’m thankful for perspective. Because honestly? It was a rough week. I woke up Monday to discover I had food poisoning, so on top being basically incapacitated in bed and on the couch for most of the day, I also missed work at the start of what was a very busy week. Got to the office Tuesday (still feeling rather squeamish) to learn that we’d be down a team member for two weeks due to Jury Duty. Wednesday saw another team member go down with stomach flu for two days (and then there were three). My blackberry basically stopped working on Wednesday (in that the keyboard is jammed so I can’t type or get into it anymore because I can’t enter my password). Given people tend to send urgent pins, this is less than awesome. IT will get to it sometime next week (given that it has now been flagged “high priority”). Given most work days were stretching until about 6:30, by mid-week, the mornings would start with my 4-year-old asking if I was coming home that night. Always nice to start the day with positive reinforcement as to how successfully one is balancing career and children!

But then, as I mentioned, there’s perspective! Just when I needed it, the universe popped in to remind me – through the example of another – that it could be worse.

I could be Gwyneth Paltrow. She recently commented to E! how tough it is to be a mom and an actress, noting how much easier it is to balance a 9:00-5:00 office job with raising kids. I could continue to thank Gwyneth for helping me realize my good fortune as compared to her lot in life, but I think Mackenzie Dawson of the New York Post really sums it up.

I’m thankful I’m passed the “Mom picking me up drunk” stage of life and not yet at the “Mom picking up my drunk kids” stage.

I woke up this morning to three text messages and two voicemails on my phone from around 12:30am to the effect of “Lindsay’s waiting for you at the door of the museum, where are you?!” My favourite was the voicemail from the security guard at, I presume, the museum for the monthly Nature Nocturne event informing me he had “my daughter”, she was okay, but that I should really come and pick her up soon.

Given my daughters are four and almost two, and we were all in bed for a good couple hours by this time, I missed all this and really hope Lindsay’s mom arrived to pick her up. I’m thankful this is one parenting issue I don’t currently have to deal with.

Number 8

I’m thankful that for my mom and the fact that she babysat for us twice this week – once when both my husband and I had to work late and once so my husband and I could go out. At the same time. Together. Like, on a date.

Number 7

Okay, so it wasn’t really a date. But I’m thankful that one of those babysits was so my husband could join me for the annual Carleton University Varsity Banquet. Our athletes had a great year and for the first time, I believe, in their history, they won TWO national championships this year: Men’s Basketball and Women’s Curling. This year also saw the return of football. Go Ravens.

Number 6

I’m also thankful for the fun dinner conversation at the banquet and thankful that, as a result, my husband wasn’t bored. I’m thankful he sat next to two students who also happened to be Canadian Armed Forces Reservists. Both my husband’s brothers served so they chatted happily about all things military for most of the evening. As for me? In chatting with others at the table, I’m thankful for learning a fun new term: Dino Dad. Two of the professors at our table both claimed this title – as they were in their 50s with very young children. I’m now curious if the term “Dino Dad” is a thing. Further investigation is required.

I’m thankful that after a chaotic week and finally getting out of the office at 6:30 last night, my husband (who was waiting for me to get home before he could go out with friends) was fine being (even) late(r), so I had time to go pick up a much-needed bottle of wine, take out pizza and Frozen again from the Movie Rental Store. I’m extra thankful Frozen was a) available – because I’d promised the girls we’d watch it and do movie night again and b) they let me take it out even though I forgot to return 101 Dalmatians and so it was overdue. The awesome folks at Movies ‘N Stuff just extended that rental so I could return it with Frozen today AND I was able to meet my deliverable of Frozen movie night with the girls.

I’m thankful to have successfully achieved this S.M.A.R.T. objective as evaluated against the following performance indicators:

delivers on projects within established timelines (I started movie night within acceptable and previously negotiated timelines as outlined in the agreed to workplan)

ensures a high level of client satisfaction (Both event attendees enjoyed both the food and entertainment, as evaluated by a post-mortem discussion en route to bed).

In unrelated news, our learning plans and work objectives for the year are due at work on Monday.

Number 4

I’m thankful for Netflix and the predictability of daytime television. While I was home sick Monday, I rediscovered the fact that, somewhere on TV, there is ALWAYS a Criminal Minds or Law and Order episode playing somewhere. Inability to move on Monday also gave me the chance to get re-acquainted with Season Two of the Vampire Diaries on Netflix. Yeah brain candy.

I’m thankful for ballet night. I have season ballet tickets with a girlfriend at the NAC and we’re going tonight. I’ve forgotten about it multiple times this week with the chaos of life. But it’ll be a fun girly night out. My girlfriend and I are going to see Rodin/Claudel put on by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. The picture doesn’t give me a lot of hope for pretty tutus, but I think I should be able to get into a “story of passion, obsession and betrayal.”

Number 2

I’m thankful for sisterly love and how well my two daughters are getting along. They hug goodnight; they read together; they hang out together on the couch when we watch movies. Earlier this week, we all read Alice in Wonderland together. One evening they randomly chased each other around the house hugging each other. This morning I did my eldest’s nails and my 20-month-old then held her hands out for her turn. It was kids polish so I gave her a quick swipe too. It’s fun to watch them play together.

Number 1

I’m thankful for how thoughtful my eldest is. On Monday when I woke up with food poisoning and still had to drive them to daycare, she helped with the youngest. She put her snowsuit on herself with no argument and she came over to me, with a look of genuine concern to ask if I was okay. When I explained I was sick and my tummy hurt she hugged me; patted my back and then offered to rub my tummy so I’d feel better. That she so clearly wanted to help was wonderful.

——–

So that was my week. Hope yours was better. But if it wasn’t, remember it could always be worse. You could be Gwyneth Paltrow.

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33 thoughts on “TTOT I’m not Gwyneth Paltrow”

I, too, am so very thankful that I am not Ms. Paltrow. I would take my I absolutely un-glamorous, hardworking life over her privileged life any day. She needs to go put her head back under a rock. What a goof.

Agreed. I know that everyone’s life has challenges – including Gwyneth Paltrow’s – but I am just forever floored by some of her comments which tend towards being so completely unaware of the reality of the majority of the rest of the world.

I have to admit I don’t usually pay attention, but the Open Letter back struck a bit of a chord. I appreciate that all mothers – all parents – work hard – but her complete obliviousness to the realities of anyone other than herself was a bit much…

I loved that open letter to Gwynnie, even though some of the commenters thought it was mean. I mean, she had to expect some kind of backlash, no? I love your list – your girls sound super sweet and you appreciate your humdrum “regular” job and life.

I appreciate my humdrum “regular” everything. As for being mean to poor Gwyneth – I’m sure that her life is sometimes difficult – I’d find going on a two week business trip and being away from my kids hard too – but I think she’d benefit from a brief life-swap with someone else in order to … gain some perspective 😉

Why hasn’t anyone drop kicked Gwyneth in her man throat yet?
Food poisoning is terrible. TERRIBLE. I won’t go any farther than that because you know…shudder.
Oh and don’t get me started on Blackberry. I effing hate Blackberry with a passion. I have to reboot my phone at least 6 times a day and throw in a 7th because that is the part when I whip it against the wall. Worst purchase ever.
Balls.
Let’s hope that this week is better for you !!

I work for the federal government, so it’s a work issue Blackberry. My personal cell is an IPhone. But I hope they sort it out early next week. So much wasted time last week trying to get into it to see what was going on. So frustrating. Sorry yours isn’t awesome either.

It’s funny – talk with my mom about the whole office job life – after having kids she happily stayed home and raised us instead of going back to work. And I’m so very happy she did. Office life wasn’t for her. For me? I can’t really imagine not working outside the home – though I’m still working out how to best go about it for me. So much comes down to individual personality with stuff like this.

But all that aside – yeah. What a relief that at least we’re not Gwyneth.

That letter to Gwyneth Paltrow was perfect. I loved it! It must be nice to be so clueless.
I am sorry to hear about the food poisoning but glad that you are feeling better.
Another post about a date night and I’m thrilled (and, yes, a little teeny bit jealous) for you 🙂
It’s sweet to hear you describe your girls together. Very.
I hope this week is better for you!

It wasn’t really a date – but it was nice to get out sans kids… That said, thanks so much for the kind words about them 🙂 I’m loving this stage with the two of them together. Although I’m curious to see how it changes as they get older.

This is perfectly wonderful, funny and real! I love your list and your little girl helping you on Monday, Empathy in such a little one? This is because you modeled this! Congratulations on a great list. xox jean

Thanks so much! As for empathy, every time it happens I do think, “Oh thank goodness! We are apparently doing something right!” It’s a nice balance for all the times as a parent that I feel the exact opposite.

…G. seems to be drawing a little heat, lol ( I am an avowed ‘not-pay-attention-to-any-news stories-entertainment-based-or-otherwise), but it was hard to miss the reaction to her rather out-of-touch remark.

Hey, maybe we’re just not (collectively) in the right 9-5 jobs.
Alls well that ends well can be applied to workweeks too, I would imagine.

Oh, I’m so glad you posted that open letter cuz I saw it on twitter but the link wouldn’t open and I really wanted to read it. Must be nice to be so out of touch with the real world. GAH. How infuriating. I pity her.

Food poisoning is NO JOKE. So sorry that happened and you had a rough week. 😦

I’d agree with this – it’s always easy to look at someone else’s life and think “Wow, you must have it so much easier than me!” I’m sure there are moments in her life that are hard too (among other things, it is always hard to be away from your kids, and it’s ALWAYS hard to figure out balance between career and family REGARDLESS what your career is) It’s just the off-handed comments insinuating that others must have it much easier that kind of lose me.

Yeah, that was not well-thought out of her. I have read that during filming, movies are really long hours, like 4 am to 11 pm. I don’t know if that’s true. I remember a story about Angelina Jolie coming home later and wanting to quit movies because her nanny and the kids were dancing in the kitchen. I bet a lot of working moms have moments like that.

I don’t question that actress moms give up a lot of time with their kids when they film. That said, anyone who hits that level of success in any career balancing family makes similar sacrifices. And (should) understand that that is the cost – to a certain extent – of success.

That isn’t to diminish any one person’s individual experience or feelings about the decisions they have to make when balancing career and kids. But, unless we are discussing subsistence level paycheck to paycheck existence, to a certain extent, the whole “work/life balance” discussion fundamentally comes down to a mix of personal choice and individual reality. And I think EVERY working parent of young kids at some stage is going to feel crappy about their decision to work and wonder if there isn’t some way to spend more time at home with their kids without living in current poverty while also possibly sacrificing future financial security.

Throw on top that working parents make their decisions on this matter while actively parenting their children – an experience they are only going to have once – and if they feel – as I do – that you really have to work on some level to support your family – then stories like this (if you let them) start the whole spiral of “why aren’t I doing this better?”

I think any way you look at it, parenting is an exercise in second guessing yourself and wondering if you are doing it right. It’s nice to know Gwyneth has similar concerns. It’d be nice if she didn’t voice them in a way that diminished the reality of other working moms. It’s that level of oblivious that in equal parts floors me and makes me envious (because I’d love to be that oblivious).

Yes, all valid points. You really are quite a good writer, Louise. The 9-to-5’ers have a much bigger struggle to provide quality extra care for their kids if they can’t rely on family. Parenting just isn’t easy, no matter who is involved.

Loved this post! I’m not sure what to make of Gweneth’s comments. As for you, you are a trooper! It seems like you indeed had a heck of a week. Your kids sound amazing, I’m glad they got along for you. I also hope this week is much better for you than the one that just went by!

Love this! I’m trying to choose a favorite from your list, but I can’t; they’re all good. Meanwhile, I am thankful not to be Gweneth Paltrow–and not because it’s soooo hard to be in her position, either. 😉
Looking forward to reading more!

Thanks for this 🙂 As for being Gwyneth – I think I’d give it a try. Maybe they could do a movie or a play – like Being John Malkovich – where the 9-5er working moms of the world can hop into her head for a while and verify the colour of the sky in that world.

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I'm Louise. Canadian, married, mom to two young girls, working full-time for the federal government in Ottawa. Welcome to my space online (because there was none left at home). I find when life gets hectic, the crying dolly understands.
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